Effect of Intestinal Parasitic Infection and Nutritional Statas on Academic Performance of School Children in Arb-Gebeya Town, T/Gayint Woreda, S/Gondar, Ethiopia.
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Date
2007-07
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
Background: There are many reasons for children to underperform at school, such as, medical problems including Intestinal parasitosis, below average intelligence, specific learning disability, attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, emotional problems, a poorsocio-cultural home environment, psychiatric disorders, or even environmental causes.
Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Intestinal parasitic infection on academic performance of school children in Arb-Gebeya Town, T/Gayint Woreda, S/Gondar, Ethiopia.
Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted in school children for assessment ofthe effect of Intestinal Parasitic Infection on Academic Performance in Arb-Gebeya Town. Sample sizes of 601 school children from grades 5th -8th were assessed using standardized, closed ended and coded questionnaire. In addition, physical examination, parasitological laboratory examinations and anthropometric measurements were conducted to assess the nutritional status of the school children.
Result: Out of 601 students who had stool examination, 216 of them had at least one parasite. Therefore, the overall Intestinal Parasitic Infection (IPI) rate (prevalence) was 216(35.9%). Of those, the dominant parasite was amoeba 80(13.3%), followed by ascaris 50(8.3%). The presence of double infection was only 8(1.3%) and other parasites were only 15(2.5%). Students who had parasitic infection were less likely to achieve higher academic performance than those who hadn’t (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.41-0.83). The prevalence of underweight (BMI below the 5th percentile) in the area was 30 (5%), 481(80%) had normal weight (BMI between the 5th and 85th percentile), 60 (10%) were at risk of overweight (BMI value between 85th and 95th percentile). Thirty (5%) of students were overweight. There was no any significant difference in being in a state of underweight between male (4.7%) and female (5.5%). Nutritional status didn’t show any association with academic performance(X2=6.046, P-value 0.109).
Conclusion: Presence of Intestinal parasitic infection could affect school performance negatively. But the presence of one or more intestinal parasites did not indicate any effector association with school performance. Underweight, overweight and obesity were less prevalent. Nutritional status has no any effect on academic performance in the study. Thus, it needs further investigation employing other techniques and study designs.
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Intestinal Parasitic Infection, Nutritional Statas, School Children